Cigarette box

ABSTRACT

A cigarette box having a hinged lid attached to a body portion having a compartment for receiving cigarettes or other smokers articles is provided with a control device for locking the lid for selectable periods of time in order to enable the user to restrict his access to cigarettes or the like stored within the compartment in the box.

United States Patent 1191 Simon 1 1 Dec. 3, 1974 CIGARETTE BOX 2,791,732 5/1957 Jones 318/119 [76] Inventor: Heinz Simon, Huttenstrasse 32-34,

8950 Kaufbeuren-Neugablonz, Germany Filed: Dec. 29, 1972 Appl. No.: 319,731

7 Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 29, 1971 Germany 2165380 US. Cl. 70/271, 70/63 Int. Cl E05b 43/00 Field of Search 70/267, 268, 269, 270,

References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1900 Gough enour et al. 70/278 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 623,325 5/1949 Great Britain 70/273 Primary ExaminerAlbert G. Craig, Jr.

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT A cigarette box having a hinged lid attached to a body portion having a compartment for receiving cigarettes or other smokers articles is provided with a control device for locking the lid for selectable periods of time in order to enable the user to restrict his access to cigarettes or the like stored within the compartment in the box.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures PATENILEEE 31914 3.851.506

BATTERY TIME PIN LOCK RELAY ELECTRONIC CONTROL BLOCK CIGARETTE BOX The invention relates to a cigarette box in the form of a box provided with a hinged lid and having a compartment for receiving cigarettes or other smokers articles.

The object of the invention is to create a cigarette box enabling access to the smokers article to be locked for freely selectable periods of time in order thereby to reduce consumption to an acceptable degree by such a compulsory measure, in that the closed lid provides a constant reminder to adhere to self-imposed limitations.

According to the invention thereis provided a cigarette box comprising a hinged lid and having therein a storage space for smokers articles as well as a time control device arranged for locking the lid in a closed position for settable intervals. A cigarette box of this kind can be used not only in maintaining necessary self discipline for limiting smoking but it can, for example, also be used in habit-curing establishments as the sole source of smokers articles in withdrawal therapy.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette box according to the invention.

HO. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the relationship of the battery, pin switch, pin lock and time relay of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a cigarette box 1 having a hinged lid 2. The box 1 has its body portion divided by a partition wall 3 into a storage compartment 4 for smokers articles and an auxiliary compartment 5 for receiving a time control device preferably consisting ofan electronic control block 6 and a battery 12, it being possible for this receiving compartment to be subdivided by a further partition wall 7 so as spacially to separate the control block 6 from the battery 12.

The electronic control block 6 is provided with a setting device 10 for setting periodical cycles of closing or opening and in the present case it has 2 holes 8 into which engage locking pins 9 located on the lid 2 which pins are adapted to be retained in the control block 6 and during a closing cycle can only be pulled out of the locked or closed position by the exertion of a substantial degree of force. Such a control block 6 may be so designed that a time relay 11 is actuated upon closing of the lid, which relay permits re-opening of the lid after expiry of a specific interval, the pins 9 acting as switching contacts. I

In an alternative embodimentthe lid can only be opened for a brief interval, or is to be opened and closed during a specific period of time so that when the correct moment has been missed renewed opening is only possible after the next following closing interval.

The size of the cigarette box may be such that the storage space 4 is the size of a conventional packet of cigarettes so as to enable such a cigarette box to be carried in the pockets of garments of the user. Typically the storage space 4 may be dimensioned to receive a packet of l0 cigarettes and the control block may have dimensions of 31 x 18 x 26 mm.

I claim:

1. A cigarette box having a body portion defining a storage space for smokers articles and housing a timing device with a pin lock, and having a lid hinged to the body portion with at least one locking pin for engaging the timing device wherein the improvement comprises: 

1. A cigarette box having a body portion defining a storage space for smoker''s articles and housing a timing devIce with a pin lock, and having a lid hinged to the body portion with at least one locking pin for engaging the timing device wherein the improvement comprises: a presettable battery operated electronic control block having a time relay for causing said lid to be locked in its closed position for a predetermined interval of time; at least one locking pin on said lid for engaging said battery operated electronic control block and actuating a time relay, said at least one locking pin defining a switching contact for initiating the actuation period of the time relay. 